Does it ever floor you that Charles Spurgeon spoke to and taught as many people as he did…all WITHOUT modern amplification? Does it throw you off that D.L. Moody rocked no less than two continents without the aid of airplanes or Internet? Or maybe, how preposterous, that it was for Hudson Taylor or David Livingston to accept the calling to China or Africa having never once seen a documentary shot in HD, revealing the plight of the people they were called to???

Wesley had NO bullhorn. Whitefield had NO guitar amp or band to back him up…to keep the people entertained. McCheyne or Brainerd or Reese Howells had no email list to get people praying all over their countries—they just prayed harder themselves. And, gasp of all gasps, none of these guys had iPhones, iPads, Twitter, Facebook, websites, or rear-screen projection! They didn’t even have TV!

It would seem to me that it would almost be a more amazing feat to see the Lord work in spite of all that techno stuff in today’s world. What if a movement sprang up today and it utilized the few, but highly volatile weapons these great men DID have? Things like prayer, the INDWELLING of the Holy Ghost, faith, and the Word of God.

Why were Spurgeon, Wesley, and Moody better than you and me? Because they read their Bibles more…they sweat through countless hours of study and agonized over every text to make sure that the Son of God was magnified through the power of the Holy Ghost in all they taught and wrote. Why were Ravenhill, E.M. Bounds and Andrew Murray closer to God than you and me??? Because they prayed way, WAY more than we do!!! They simply spent more time with their Creator, their Jesus. He was audible to them, tangible, touchable, awe-inspiring. These lives bled with intimacy. Thank you Tozer, for your example here as well.

Men like Hudson Taylor, Oswald Chambers, and George Müller had FAITH. Faith that had been wrought through the hammering process of God, on His anvil. This faith had hair on its chest and knew how to grow a beard. This faith moved mountains and countries and cities…because it trusted God and cast off unbelief.

And all these super-men for the Kingdom had massive respect for the Holy Spirit and His filling and empowering strength. Men without Power and intimacy with the Presence of Yahweh COULD NOT HAVE DONE WHAT THESE MEN DID! They were set on fire in public for all to run and see! They were zealous roadside bombs for the Gospel and you could not contain them, could not buy them, could not blast them from Hell, could not throw them off, could not steal from them because they held onto nothing…BECAUSE THE WORLD WAS NOT WORTHY OF THEM!

And I don’t know about you, but I want to be one of these men.

So…now I should pray. I need the Word woven in. I need the Spirit penetrating. And I need boundless faith to propel me into caverns of victory.